Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
Run Windows on your Mac, the easy, fast and powerful way with Parallels Desktop 4 for Mac.
- Get Easy access to all your applications and data while enjoying the complete Mac experience.
- Experience fast speeds for all applications with the latest performance acceleration technologies
- Run Windows smoothly on your Mac with the Complete Suite of essentials for Internet security, data protection and disk management
Overview
Parallels Desktop 4 for Mac allows you to run Windows and Mac OS X as one - the best of both worlds on one seamless desktop.
Run Windows programs like they were native to your Mac. With four view modes, next generation Coherence® lets you run the programs you need side-by-side with Mac OS X.
Features
- iPhone application with remote control of VMs
- Modality, Coherence, Window & Full Screen view modes - 4 different views that integrates Windows to Mac
- New GUI and VM Directory - Easy to use interface with quick access to all your VMs
- Clips - Screen capture utility to share screenshots across Windows and Mac
- Virtual Appliances - get up and running quickly with pre-built virtual appliances from Parallels
- Parallels Explorer - peer in VM hard disks
- Speech Recognition - Voice control of Parallels Desktop 4 for Mac
- QuickLook integration - get a glance of VM info
- Smart Connect - keeps USB device connection preferences
- Smart Shared Internet Applications - define Windows programs or Mac applications to handle web functions
- Smart Shared Folders, Parallels Mounter, Parallels Online Mounter - immediate transparent access to any files on both Windows or Mac
- SmartInstall - auto-update for current software
- Security Manager - set level of VM isolation for online safety
- Safe Mode - private and secure computing by saving or resetting changes to VM
- Shut Down Mode - graceful problem-free shutdown
- Over 45+ Supported Guest Operating Systems - Run Mac OS X Leopard Server, Snow Leopard, Windows including Windows Server 2008/2003, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, and more
Apple Recommends for...
...running Windows and over 45 other guest operating systems seamlessly, fully integrated and side by side on your Mac.
Data at Your Fingertips
Get instant and automatic access to your data from any OS with SmartX technologies
- SmartSelect - associate files with default applications to launch
- SmartMount - automatically mount removable media for access across OS
- Smart Auto Start - define specific VMs to auto-boot during startups
Getting Started is Easy
Use your Mac like multiple computers and start using your existing Windows and Linux machines on your Mac effortlessly with built-in installation and migration tools
- Express Windows & Linux Installation - Install Windows in 3-steps; includes automatic media detection for OS. Save big by using your Mac for multiple computers.
- Parallels Transporter - P2V: Migrate any PC or Boot Camp, V2V: VMware, Virtual PC & VirtualBox VMs
- Boot Camp - run your Boot Camp Windows installation in a VM
Note: Products sold through this website that do not bear the Apple Brand name are serviced and supported exclusively by their manufacturers in accordance with terms and conditions packaged with the products. Apple's Limited Warranty does not apply to products that are not Apple-branded, even if packaged or sold with Apple products. Please contact the manufacturer directly for technical support and customer service.
Accelerate your games or graphics applications
Blazing fast video and 3D graphics with support for DirectX 9.0, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0, and OpenGL 2.0
- DirectX 9, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0, OpenGL 2.0 - blazing video and 3D graphic support for smooth visual output in VMs
- QuickClick and SmoothShow GUI technologies - provide fast and smooth response to user interaction with the user interface
- 256 MB video RAM - leverage up to 256 MB of video RAM for snappy visual output
Complete Protection Suite
Safeguard your computer with the best internet and data protection available
- Bonus software: Parallels Internet Security powered by Kaspersky - provides protection including Anti-virus, firewall, scanner, recovery, filtering, and identity protection
- Bonus software: Acronis True Image Home - the complete solution to backup, restore, and protect your data and entire system includes the complete disk backup, file backup, disk cloner, file shredder, system cleanup, and disk cleanser
- SmartGuard - automatic protection with scheduled snapshots
Get more usage time with your Mac
Extend battery life by reducing power consumption with Parallels' PowerSaver feature
- PowerSave energy saving mode - up to 20% longer battery life
- Battery status in guest OS - better power management of your VMs
- Full-hardware ACPI support - enable graceful shutdown of VMs.
Get efficient use of disk space for Windows
A smaller footprint for Windows allows you to maximise space for your digital life - in a VM or Boot Camp with Disk Management capabilities
- Bonus software: Acronis Disk Director Suite - optimise your Windows disk space for better data allocation, performance, and data protection Includes partition manager, OS selector, recovery, disk editor
- Parallels Compressor - reduces VM size up to 2 times
- Parallels Image Tool - automatic resize of partitions with virtual hard disk capacity changes
System requirements
Mac
- Intel-based Mac required
- 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended to run Windows Vista)
- 450MB of hard drive space for Parallels Desktop installation, plus space to allocate to your virtual machine
- Mac 0S X 10.4.11 or later (including Mac 0S X Leopard)
- Internet connection required for select features and online updates. Also required for updates during one-year Internet Security subscription period
- Requires Windows or other operating system (not included)
Most Recent Reviews
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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
Almost flawless
Written by BR from Montville
Aug 26, 2009
I found it much easier to set up than I would have imagined, Coherence mode is amazing - I wouldn't consider running Windows on OS…Read more X any other way!
I installed XP Home just to keep things simple (and inexpensive.) I found that *everything* in Windows runs using Parallels (I'm sure someone will correct me on this, but rest assured the list of apps that do not work are few and far between) and they run fast!
I found a couple of quirks with it, mostly having to do with coherence vs. full screen mode when using "Spaces". Not really much of an issue really. I also had trouble running windowsupdate.com. I found I had to download both SP2 and SP3 and then reboot Windows before manually installing them (although it IS Windows. This behavior wouldn't surprise me even on a native install!) Again, not a big issue either.(1 of 1 people found this review useful)
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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
Great tool, worth every penny.
Written by JB from Toronto
Aug 24, 2009
I'm a senior level Systems Integrator who works with all kinds of OS's and must frequently support them as well. I also support ma…Read moreny family and friends who use all versions of Windows and MacOS OS's. I highly recommend this product.
I've been using Parallels since I started supporting the Intel Macs and it's made my life easier in many ways. A few observations:
1) Getting rid of client's old PCs is far easier as they can transition from Window to MacOS at their pace. I use Parallels Transported to import the legacy PC into the Mac environment so that the use can fire up their old windows machine AS THEY ARE USED TO SEEING IT, whenever they want. I usually migrate all of their files into the Mac User's profile, and with the excellent user account integration, the imported PC's desktop and user folders (Pictures, Documents, etc) are mapped to the same folders under the MacOS. As well PC applications can be made to open specific files on double a double click from the Mac side so that PowerPoint files open with the Windows resident version of MS PowerPoint. A crucial detail when migrating users.
2) Create your own lab! I use virtual machines instead of spare PCs to do testing and PC related work. QuickTax won't run on the Mac? It's not up to date? Well keep an stripped down copy of WinXP for your quicktax. Easy Peasy. I have 15-20 Virtual machines usable at any time running everything from Windows (any version) to MacOS X Server to any Unix/Linux under the sun. That's before you get to the world of virtual appliances. I have one Mac Pro with four drives installed to replace Two Compaq Proliant servers and three PC desktops that used to comprise my testing "lab". Instead of keeping a phalanx of spare iron around the house I am in the process of clearing literally a wall of equipment away and donating it to charity.
3) Games - Parallels 4.x has become good enough for me to run (I didn't say very well, but it's entirely adequate!) Halo, Civ IV, Half Life 2, and many others. The setup requires a tiny bit of tuning, but in my case I don't run games in the Virtual Machine to get great performance...only to be able to play. When I truly need speed I boot into windows using a Boot Camp setup. Why is this cool? before Parallels supported DirectX 9c and OpenGL 2.1, I could only dream that some clients may one day run AutoCAD, or Microstation in their VMs. Now it's a reality. Your Mileage May Vary, but again the point is that you can run it reasonably well as required, which is for me an important milestone. From here forward performance should increase.
I've had a chance to run the competitors, and I've seen the complaints about Parallels. I've only ever run into one specific issue that wouldn't solve itself. A small audio driver issue, which I posted a solution to on the Parallels forums site. A great resource for the requited and unrequited BTW. Barring that problem I've had smooth sailing since version 2.x. all Problems have gone away with the updates
4.x is an excellent product. My only regret is that Apple does not showcase this software in their stores as it really seals the deal for "switchers" once they see they don't need to quit cold turkey.(6 of 6 people found this review useful)
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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
Works like a charm.
Written by PF from Toronto
Aug 16, 2009
I oficially threw out my PC. LOVE IT.
(8 of 10 people found this review useful)
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Most Useful Reviews
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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
Parallels 4 should be a hit
Written by LH from CLERMONT
Nov 12, 2008
I have been a saisfied Parallels user for about two years. I participated in the Parallels 4 beta review and am pleased to report…Read more that this new software is great! Stable, very fast, new user interface, 3d directx 9.0, open GL, DirectX shaders, 32 and 64 bit operating systems, 256 video,8 gb ram, partition resizing FAT 32 support, are just some of the improvements.
The install procedure is much improved and should go smoothly (occasionally Windows install acts up, but that is usually a Windows problem). (Follow the instructions exactly!) Parallels Tools take a while to install but should work well. If you have problems installing, rebooting the Mac seems to solve most of the problems.
I think that many more games will now work in Parallels (my Roller Coaster Tycoon now runs flawlessly and fast compared to several problems before). Other beta users reported a lot of applications that will now work. I still do not think that every game will work, so don't be disappointed if your doesn't.
The configure tab is much improved over previous versions and there are lots of things you can configure. My computer worked well with the default settings. You can right-click on the mouse and configure the menu bar on the startup screen.
I use Windows for Quicken, EWallet (synching with Iphone), Microsoft Publisher (all 2007 products work well), and several Coffee Cup web applications, and several other applications that aren't available in Mac versions. All of these applications work well. If you sync with Ewallet, be sure you use default networking.
I particularly like the Coherence mode. It has been improved over Parallels 3 and integrated fine with Mac. I have lots of clip art on the windows side and I can access it on the Mac side as fast as Mac files (was much slower in previous version.)
The integrated help user manual is great -- and explains most that you need to know.
The supporting applications (Compressor, etc.) are much improved and there are lots of ways to back up -- including an automatic one similar to time machine.
I have also beta tested a new iphone application which will eventually integrate with Parallels 4. As of now it will turn on and off, suspend, and pause the VM. I think the uses will eventually be expanded.
I am using this in my Imac 2.16 gb 4gb memory machine with Windows XP home. I would recommend that you use Windows XP (less problems than Vista) and with the coherence mode you really don't need to see an interface -- use the superior Mac one!
I only have one minor problem with the application. Commercial videos will not display in Coherence mode but work fine in Windowed mode and Full Screen mode. Hopefully, this will get fixed in an update. I'm sure some users will encounter other problems as this product is used in many ways.
I think they will still have a 30 day free trial (so no cost to give it a try). You won't be sorry.
And, no, I am not connected with Parallels in any way.
(459 of 522 people found this review useful)
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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
Parallels Desktop 4.0 Review from closed Beta Participant
Written by MO
Nov 12, 2008
After using PD 4 daily for two months, I have to say that Parallels now has the upper hand in Mac virtualization.
Parallels is an…Read more excellent solution for running Office 2007 with Outlook and countless other Windows-only software and with support for Open GL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0, even the occasional Windows game that doesn't require the latest hardware. Version 4.0 also boasts a slick, completely redesigned user interface with new icons and graphics. PD4 also now supports up to 8GB of Ram on the Virtual Machine and 8 CPUs and more interestingly, a new "Adaptive Hypervisor"; mode that intelligently assigns CPU cycles to the operating system in use at the moment by the user. Integration of Windows with OS X is almost complete as it is now possible to place Windows System Tray Icons on the OS X Menu Bar.
Parallels now offers a built-in "Safe Mode"; where you can confidently install programs you suspect might contain malware and if one wishes, easily return to state previous to install. Performance on my machine feels a lot snappier too, suspends and resumes are fast and I leave my Windows VM running all the time and I cannot really say I notice any slowdown. A new interesting feature in PD 4 I have not tested is iPhone support, Parallels says you can now manage your virtual machines remotely through your iPhone. A free app is available on the App Store. In conclusion, all I can say is Parallels was already a great program and with each new version it keeps getting better. I can use all the Windows-only programs necessary for work without leaving the comfort of my Mac.
(349 of 400 people found this review useful)
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Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac
AMAZING
Written by MC
Nov 14, 2008
I've used and older version of Parallel before and it worked smoothly and then tested VM Ware Fusion and that was not as good as t…Read morehe older version of Parallels. I then decided to purchase Parallels 4.0 and I am extremely happy I did so. Best move. Works with no glitches and switching from windows to mac is easy and smooth. All my folders are accessible from both platforms and they all work. Great Job from the parallels team.
(339 of 392 people found this review useful)
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